Garlic’s slender green leaves, bulbous white roots, and pungent flavor and aroma mark it as a member of the genus Allium,
which also includes onions, leeks, and chives. Prized as a vegetable, a
condiment, and a medicine, garlic has been part of human culture since
ancient times in both the East and the West. First cultivated perhaps
more than 7,000 years ago, this herb was long thought to impart strength
and stamina. The legions of slaves who built Egypt’s great pyramids
were given garlic and onions as part of their daily diet. The original
Olympic athletes in Greece ate garlic before competitions, possibly
making it one of the earliest performance-enhancing substances. Widely
used in spells and charms, garlic was believed to protect against all
forms of evil, including witches and, more famously, vampires.
Medicinally, garlic has long been revered for its powers, particularly
in treating infections.

Therapeutic Uses

Diarrhea

Coughs and colds

Heart health

Garlic is a key ingredient in many ethnic cuisines
and has a cherished history in herbal medicine. It also has a stunning
reputation for fighting off infections, especially in the gut and lungs.
With the growing problem of antibiotic resistance (which occurs when
bacteria and parasites are no longer vulnerable to antibiotics), garlic
could be critical.

Louis Pasteur first documented garlic’s antibacterial activity in 1858.
Albert Schweitzer relied on garlic to treat amoebic dysentery for years
in Africa. Modern research has confirmed that garlic can kill a number
of diarrhea-causing organisms, including Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Entamoeba histolytica, and Giardia lamblia.
Fresh garlic also impairs many organisms that cause colds and
pneumonia. In fact, a preliminary study indicated that taking a garlic
supplement helped prevent the common cold.

Garlic not only helps fight infection but also may reduce the risk of some cancers. In 2002, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute
reported results of a population-based study showing reduced risk of
prostate cancer for men with a high dietary intake of garlic and
scallions.

Garlic also protects the gastrointestinal tract. In
seven studies evaluating garlic consumption, those who ate the most raw
and cooked garlic had the lowest risk of colorectal cancer. Multiple
studies have found that aged garlic extracts prevent or reduce
gastrointestinal toxicity resulting from methotrexate, a drug often
prescribed for autoimmune conditions.

There are also good reasons to include garlic in a
heart-healthy diet. It helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure,
though its effects are mild. Garlic also makes platelets a little less
sticky, thus reducing the risk of clots.

How to Use

Cooking deactivates some of garlic’s activity, so
one of the easiest ways to take garlic is simply to eat it! Raw garlic
is probably the optimal form. Crush a couple cloves and put in olive
oil, add a dash of lemon, and toss over a salad.

Precautions

Garlic is safe and well
tolerated in the regular diet. There is a small risk that eating larger
quantities of raw garlic (more than 4 cloves per day) can affect
platelets’ ability to form a clot, so it makes sense to reduce
consumption 10 days before surgery and not to exceed this amount if
taking anticoagulant medications. Garlic can also interfere with
medications used to treat HIV infection.